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Breetzke breaks barriers, Proteas storm past England to clinch series in style

football04 September 2025 20:43| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Matthew Breetzke became the first batter in one-day international history to pass 50 in his first five innings with a brilliant score of 85 to help South Africa to a formidable total of 330-8 before a consummate bowling and fielding display earned South Africa a nail-biting win by just five-runs in the second ODI against England at Lord’s on Thursday.

The Proteas clinched the three-match series following their overwhelming seven-wicket victory against the hosts in the first match at Headingley in Leeds on Tuesday.

England required a record run-chase and it began in dramatic fashion with Nandre Burger finding Jamie Smith’s inside edge with the first ball before fellow opener Ben Duckett was bowled reverse-sweeping Keshav Maharaj for an uncharacteristically laboured 14 from 33 balls with just a single four.

But half centuries from Joe Root (61), Jacob Bethell (58) and Jos Buttler (61) kept England in the game and, with Will Jacks (39) smashing boundaries in the final five overs – including a reverse-swept six against spinner Senuran Muthusamy – England’s hopes flickered until the final over before they were restricted to 325-9.

Jofra Archer lashed an unbeaten 27 from 14 balls with a pair of fours and sixes but was unable to score the 16 required to win off the final over bowled by the nerveless Muthusamy.

Breetzke faced just 77 balls striking seven fours and three sixes and adding 147 with Tristan Stubbs who looked set for an even bigger score having reached a composed 58 from 62 balls before Dewald Brevis declined a second run leaving his partner stranded and run out.

Brevis atoned for his error reaching a withering 42 from just 20 balls with a trio of sixes and fours as England’s part-time spinners Jacks (5-0-51-0) and Bethell (5-0-61-1) came under fire. Left-armer Bethell did have the consolation of a sliced drive to backward point which ended the Brevis onslaught.

An opening partnership of 73 in 13 overs laid the perfect platform with Ryan Rickelton (35 from 33 balls) dominating before top-edging a slog-sweep against Jofra Archer (4-62) while Aiden Markram was more circumspect in compiling 49 from 64 balls before chipping a return catch to the excellent Adil Rashid who also had Temba Bavuma caught behind with a text-book legspinner to finish with 2-33 from his 10 overs.

Breetzke was trapped lbw by an Archer slower ball and was marginally embarrassed when his review showed the ball to be hitting halfway up middle stump but his place in ODI history was secured after innings of 150 and 83 in Pakistan last year followed by 57 and 88 against Australia two weeks ago.

Corbin Bosch marshalled the final overs to finish with an important, unbeaten 32 from 29 balls with nine of the last 10 ODIs at Lord’s having been won by the team batting first with an average score of 290. It was a small innings which had a large impact.

Maharaj (2-59) once again made a huge contribution having Root stumped by Rickelton while Burger effectively ended England’s hopes when Jacks (39) skewed a slower ball to cover. Bethell sliced the excellent Bosch (10-1-38-1) to cover, Brook was undone by turn and bounce from Muthusamy (8-0-61-1) and Buttler was bowled by a superbly disguised slower ball from Lungi Ngidi who bowled far better than figures of 1-72 would suggest.

The third and final match will be played at Southampton’s Rosebowl on Sunday.

ENGLAND: Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wkt), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wkt), Temba Bavuma (captain), Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.

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